Ministry127 | Current Events

Looking for an Economic Savior

Rick Houk — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:15:54 +0000

“Is that all?” newly elected Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou asked his budget committee in 2009 during a meeting to find out exactly how much the government was spending. A series of financial scandals led to the ousting of the incumbent party and ushered in a new Greek government—one which would count the money it spent instead of assuming they spent what they had budgeted. It took a week of meetings with each department head to learn the actual state of Greek finances. Every night Papandreou would ask if they had all the spending data, the department heads would affirm they did, and the next morning they would come back with more data. That year, the government raised their budget deficit from 6% (set the previous year) to 12.7%. Later it became 15.4%.

There were many causes to the catastrophe besides criminally optimistic accounting practices. There is widespread tax evasion among Greek’s self-employed and corruption among collections agents. Plastic surgeons would declare $12,000 yearly income. Public sector workers were paid as high as four times their private sector equivalents.

When the day of fiduciary reckoning came, the catastrophe was met with excuses. The current administration blamed the previous administration. The public sector workers claimed the high salaries were their just compensation. Everyone suspected everyone else was cheating on their taxes (and most of them were right). But the greatest evil in the eyes of the Greek citizens were the foreign banks (mostly German) who lent their country the money in the first place.

This world of economic depression with no parties willing to take responsibility for the crisis is ripe for a strong leader who will save the day. They are looking for someone with the power to fix their problems in exchange for their submission. After all, what good is national autonomy without a comfortable lifestyle?

There is a man coming who will have the power to offer hope to a floundering world. He will promise global unity and prosperity. Yet the source of his power is unseen, uncontrollable, and evil.

In Revelation 13:2, it says of the beast (the antichrist), “…and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” The antichrist then does not rise to prominence through his own power, but he is given authority by the dragon—Satan. There are three words that describe what Satan will give the antichrist to make him appealing to the world and especially Europe.

First, power is given to him. This power is from the Greek word dunamis, referring to power of ability. The antichrist will have the capabilities to deal with the world’s critical issues which may be centered around economics.

Second, Satan will give him his seat, or throne. The antichrist will have political authority over the nations as he sits as a ruler over them in the political arena.

Finally, the third advantage given is great authority. Perhaps because of his capabilities and position the third is the outcome—“great authority.” Often in a season of economic and political collapse, the time is ripe for a dictator to rise in power and with great authority to right what had gone wrong. Hitler rose up in Germany, and Mussolini in Italy before WWII. People today are looking for someone to fix all their problems, not just in America or Europe, but the entire world. Satan for sure is ready and willing to manipulate the circumstances to eventually get his false-christ in position as the world ruler.

Where Is the Tolerance?

Dr. Paul Chappell — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:06:22 +0000

For a nation that has adopted a mantra of tolerance, someone seems to have missed the memo. In the 9/11 commemorative services at Washington National Cathedral, representatives from several religions will be leading—including a Buddhist nun, an Imam, a rabbi, and a Hindu priest—but no Protestant or evangelical Christian. President Obama will be attending and delivering his remarks on Sunday evening. (Click here to read the article from Fox news.)

This is yet another reminder that our culture is becoming less tolerant of Christianity. Instead of “one nation under God,” we have become a nation under “the gods”—something like ancient Rome.

Although a large percentage of our country still identifies themselves as evangelical Christians, this program designed to promote diversity fails to even acknowledge evangelicals.

Our nation was founded on biblical principles, and our government was carefully crafted to give liberty of religion to all. But many today are using that liberty to silence biblical Christianity.

May we as Christians pray that God would send a revival to our nation in which hearts would turn toward Him in repentance and sincere faith. And may we be faithful to preach the Gospel of Christ regardless of political trends. As the intolerance toward Christianity and the Bible rise, may we seek God’s power to witness for Him as never before!

The Promised Land

Dr. Paul Chappell — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:00:23 +0000

Bible believing Christians were shocked when they heard President Obama call for the re-establishment of pre-1967 borders for Israel with some adjustments. While many U.S. Presidents have tried to negotiate peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, President Obama’s position (which he has since softened) may signal a shift in U.S. policy toward Israel—one that is dangerous to our prosperity as a nation.

“The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.”—President Barack Obama, May 19, 2011

God was explicitly clear that He would bless and curse others based on how they treated Abraham and his descendants. When God called out Abraham in Genesis 12, He made an unconditional promise with the Jewish forefather. “Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3).

The United States has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity since the reappearance of the nation of Israel. We have blessed Israel with political, military, and economic support, and God has blessed our nation in return. Though there have been times when U.S. Presidents have sought to divide the land in the name of peace, each negotiation has fallen apart and has mysteriously coincided with a natural disaster in America. God does not want this land divided.

Even through periods of Jewish exile from the land of Israel, God has not forgotten His covenant with Abraham, nor His promise to “bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” Joel prophesied that God would judge the nations who divided the land of Israel (Joel 3). God speaks very personally of the land. He referred to it as “my land” just as He referred to the children of Israel as “my people.” God promised through Joel that He would return His people to the land and “return your recompence” upon those who divided and spoiled Israel.

But since 70 A.D. there had been no nation of Israel. There were always Jews in the land, but they were often a powerless minority. This changed in 1948 when David Ben-Gurion rushed down Rothschild Boulevard to the Tel Aviv Art Museum and announced a newly formed state of Israel. This was the culmination of decades of work. In 1917, the British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour signed the Balfour Declaration which established British support for the establishment of a Jewish home in Palestine. A few wealthy patrons began to invest in these Jewish communities and purchased thousands of acres for settlements.

The formation of the Jewish state reignited Arab hatred for the Jews. When the United Nations drafted a two-state proposal, the Palestinians and Arab League nations rejected the proposal. Soon after Israel declared nationhood, the country was attacked by Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Israel defended itself, and armistice lines were drawn around the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with Western Jerusalem under Israel’s control.

After the 1949 Armistice Agreement was signed, fighting still continued in the region. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) launched guerilla attacks against Israel, and Israel responded with attacks on the Jordanian-occupied West Bank. Soon Iraq began massing troops into Jordan, and Egypt mobilized 100,000 soldiers on the Sinai Peninsula. In the face of these obvious threats, Israel voted to go to war.

Israel launched a surprise preemptive attack on the gathering Arab forces on June 5, 1967. With a force about a third the size of its enemies, Israel sent the nations of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq into retreat. The initial attack crippled the Egyptian air force. Egyptian soldiers abandoned tanks and other vehicles on the Sinai Peninsula and rushed on foot 200 kilometers back to the Suez Canal. Israeli Defense Forces pushed through the West Bank, careful not to harm any holy sites. In a matter of days, Israel had repelled the Arab forces and captured the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights.

Before the Six-Day War and the occupation of the West Bank, sections of Israel were indefensibly narrow—in some places only eight miles wide. The capture of the Golan Heights and the West Bank ensured both additional security and control of Israel’s water supply. Israel also annexed East Jerusalem and put forces in place to protect Jewish and Christian holy sites. If Israel were to return to 1967 borders, each of these protections would be in dire risk.

Despite contentions from the Arab League and the United Nations, the United States has been a staunch ally of Israel. President Harry Truman immediately recognized the sovereign state of Israel in 1948. The United States has supplied Israel with military technology—a key to success in the 1967 war. Israel has responded in kind in many instances by providing intelligence on the Soviets and Islamic terror groups. The alliance has been of great benefit to both nations.

One day, the world will turn against Israel, and we can already see anti-Semitic attitudes poisoning global governing bodies like the United Nations. The Gentile world will gather itself against Israel, and will be judged by God for their actions (Joel 3). But until that Day of the Lord comes, America can still have God’s blessing by blessing Israel.

Israel’s Peril with Pre-1967 Borders

Israel’s defense is weakened. Some sections of Israel before 1967 were only eight miles wide—indefensible against mortar and rocket attacks. The Golan Heights were captured because they were a platform for mortar attacks into Israel.

Israel’s water supply is threatened. The sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights and the Jordan in the West Bank comprise a major share of Israel’s water supply. Giving up this land could mean restriction of water rights, or even worse, poisoning of the water supply.

Biblical sites are endangered. The temple mount, the wailing wall, Golgotha, Gethsemane, Ceasarea Philippi, and many other important biblical sites are currently protected by Israeli occupation. Arab control of these sites could mean complete restriction to Jews and Christians.

The Patriotism We Need Today

Dr. Paul Chappell — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:41:29 +0000

I’ve never been more thankful to be an American. I’m thankful for the men who pledged their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” to sign the Declaration of Independence and then gave of themselves in unspeakable sacrifice to birth this great nation.

These men understood that patriotism meant so much more than grabbing the family rifle and charging the red coats. It involved giving whatever was necessary to uphold the God-given values of freedom and equality which they had come to embrace. For many, patriotism meant giving their lives, their families, and their fortunes. They purchased freedom at a heavy personal expense.

I’m thankful for the heritage of these patriots, statesmen, and soldiers who embraced and upheld freedom—even at the expense of themselves.

I’m thankful for men and women around the world today (some from our church family) who are sacrificing for continued freedom.

But more than the patriotism of a soldier, we need another kind of patriotism today. America is in a state of spiritual and moral decline that, frankly, is frightening. We seem to have lost our moral compass and our willingness to sacrifice for the biblical values of truth and righteousness.

Today, we need the kind of patriotism that Nehemiah of old embraced. Nehemiah’s nation was in desperate straits. The wall of Jerusalem was burned and broken down, and the enemies of the Lord mocked the city’s disgrace.

But when Nehemiah heard of the travail of Jerusalem, he made a decision to give his life to the cause of revival. He prayed with compassion and fervency. And he made it his purpose to seek the spiritual welfare of the city. He persevered through criticism, attacks, and discouragement. And in the end, he did what his enemies said couldn’t be done—he revived the stones to build a great wall around the city.

More than ever before, America needs men and women who—like Nehemiah of old—will be burdened to pray for our country with genuine compassion, and then have the passion and courage to seek the spiritual welfare of our God-blessed nation.

Yes, it will require personal sacrifice. But, as Americans, we value sacrifice more than enslavement. May we earnestly seek God’s face and give of ourselves for the cause of revival!

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

One World Currency

Andrew Jones — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:21:25 +0000

A United Nations report calls for a new world currency to replace the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, threatening to displace the US as the primary economic superpower. Citing the current worldwide economic turmoil and rising US debt, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report claims that a “profound overhaul” must be made to the world monetary system to bring stability back to the world. It blames free markets and the world’s dependence on the US dollar for the current economic crisis.

The UN is not the first to call for an internationally regulated currency. Russia and China both want to move away from the US dollar, and Pope Benedict XVI has called for a global authority to regulate the global markets.

China is rapidly developing while the US slips further into debt (with much of it to China), and the EU is forming a powerful economic coalition. The US position as the lone superpower is waning, and the UN report is another blow against her strength. —LONDON TELEGRAPH

Religious Donors

Andrew Jones — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:46:59 +0000

A recent study shows that a majority of religious donors plan to give as much or more in 2009 as they gave last year. This is not the case among every American. Many are planning to cut back their charitable donations in the face of the economic downturn. What made the difference? According to researchers, the answer is faith. The study concluded, "Religious conviction is the only relevant characteristic that statistically differentiates these highly committed donors from other respondents." Many Americans say they are looking to God, not their portfolios, to determine what they will give.—Cygnus Applied Reasearch, Inc., Chicago

Witnessing in Public Places

Andrew Jones — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:27:31 +0000

Sean and several friends were peaceably distributing Gospel tracts in front of a bank when a city police officer approached and told them to leave because they were engaging in illegal activity on the bank’s private property. Sean and his friends knew they were standing on a public sidewalk and the bank was not even open; but the officer said if they did not leave, they would be arrested. Sean and his friends knew they had a free speech right to distribute tracts on public sidewalks, but they refrained from getting into an altercation with the police, left the area, and contacted CLA for help. Here are five tips to help you share your faith.

1. Witness on public sidewalks and parks because it is protected free speech.

2. Have a video tape recording while you witness in public places.If you are required to defend yourself, more than likely the charges will be dropped if a video tape is presented.

3. Keep a right attitude toward police authority even if harassed or arrested.This will make defending the charges easier.

4. Do not interfere with the flow of pedestrian traffic or the ingress or egress to buildings.

5. Work in teams as much as possible to ensure safety and vouch for each other if confronted by police.

The Seven Most Restrictive Countries in the World

Andrew Jones — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:11:56 +0000

1. NORTH KOREA

No one is allowed to be a Christian in North Korea. Both North Korean borders are closed, and everything going in or out is strictly checked. Executions are done in secret, and the number of people sentenced to labor camp or prison has increased from last year.

2. SAUDI ARABIA

The kingdom is ruled by Sharia-law, a strict interpretation of the Koran. Those who convert from Islam can be executed, and many times family members of the accused carry out the honor killing. Public non-Muslim worship is prohibited and is punishable by imprisonment, deportation, and torture.

3. IRAN

Iran cracked down on house churches in 2008 with fifty Christians reportedly imprisoned for their faith. At least one Christian couple died after interrogation by government officials, due to injuries and stress from the captivity. The Iranian Parliament revised their apostasy law, making converting from Islam punishable by death only. While Christianity is an officially protected religion, Christians are not allowed to witness to Muslims, and many church services are monitored by secret police.

4. AFGHANISTAN

Because of intense pressure from the Taliban movement, it is nearly impossible to have an active church in the country. Christians have no protected rights and face government persecution when their faith is publicly known. One Christian aid worker was killed because the Taliban believed she was spreading Christianity. Despite this, Christianity is spreading in Afghanistan.

5. SOMALIA

Somalia has no working government, and Islamic Somali warlords rule with force. At least ten Christians were killed for their faith in 2008 and these are just known instances.

6. MALDIVES

In the archipelago of the Maldives, Islam is the official state religion and all citizens must be Muslims. A unified religion is seen as an important part of maintaining the government’s power. The government does not allow importation of any religious literature, apart from a single copy for personal use. Christians live in total secrecy.

7. YEMEN

The Yemeni Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but it also declares that Islam is the state religion and that Sharia is the source of all legislation. Expatriates are allowed to practice Christianity, but any Yemeni citizen may be executed for converting from Islam.

Source: Open Doors World Watch List 2009

Uninvited Guests

Andrew Jones — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:04:12 +0000

Americans view an average of twenty-eight hours of television per week, the highest viewing rate in the world. When an American turns eighteen, on average he has seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence. Nearly two-thirds of sampled programming in the 2001–2002 season showed sexual content. You may be very careful about guarding your front door from unwanted strangers, but are you just as careful when it comes to guarding your television?